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Joe
There are 4 animated PIFs from between 1968 and 1973 with the main characters Joe & Petunia. The last film "Worn Tyres Kill" have the main characters killed off due to public demand for their reappearance. Coastguard Description: Joe and Petunia are on holiday, enjoying a picnic on a clifftop. Joe is watching the sea through binoculars when he sees a man in trouble on his boat, but assumes that, like them, he is simply enjoying himself and, when he struggles to stay afloat, Joe waves back ("Lovely day, in't it?"). Eventually, the man shouts to them "HELP! DIAL 9-9-9 AND ASK FOR THE COASTGUARD!" Joe reads these instructions in a speech bubble above the man's head, and begins to realize what is happening, he rushes to a phone box to summon help. The man holds on to the end of the speech bubble "DIAL 999 AND ASK FOR THE COASTGUARD" and floats out of the water, thus saving himself. FX/SFX: All traditional animation. Variant: This had a limited remake in 2007 with Petunia listening to an iPod, Joe wearing a Burberry cap and having a mobile phone, and the coastguard using a computer. Music/Sounds: We hear dialogue from Joe & Petunia in the PIF and the man who was having trouble with his boat tells the audience at the end of the PIF: "If you happen to see a boat you think it maybe in distress, dial 999 and ask for the coastguard." Availability: Used to be shown in cinemas, but preserved on YouTube Scare Factor: None. It's charming and funny. Beach Flags Description: At the seaside, Joe sees a beautiful mermaid in the water and wants to go in, but Petunia tells him he can't because there is a sign nearby telling people not to swim. They move down the beach, but it's not safe there either, because a red flag is on display, warning that the sea is too rough. Finally, they find an area patrolled by lifeguards, and Petunia tells Joe it is safe to swim now, but having seen the lifeguard swimming away with the mermaid, Joe has changed his mind. FX/SFX: Same as above. Music/Sounds: Again, we hear dialogue between Joe & Petunia alongside seaside sound effects. Availability: Used to be shown in cinemas during that time, but preserved on YouTube Scare Factor: None. Once again, it's charming and funny. Country Code Description: While on a country walk, Joe and Petunia stop for a rest and discuss their walk, with Joe throwing rocks from a wall nearby: They have left tracks all through a corn field, have released some cows through a gate Joe opened, marked "Private" and their dog is now chasing sheep in the field behind them. Just then, one of the stones Joe throws shatters a bottle, much to his delight. They then see a farmer with a angry look on his face which is turned red (which they attribute to "all that country air") and think he is doing a country dance as he jumps up and down in fury. Petunia remarks that he doesn't look friendly (to which Joe says "Can't be anything we've done"), and they leave. The farmer looks out at the trail of damage they have left, and sighs "When folk go out to the country, why oh why can't they follow The Country Code?" FX/SFX: Same as above. Music/Sounds: We hear dialogue from Joe & Petunia during the PIF, alongside some sound effects and the farmer telling us the above quote. Availability: Used to be shown in cinemas, but preserved on YouTube. Scare Factor: None. Again, it's charming and funny. Worn Tyres Kill Description: On a mountain drive, Petunia sees a notice board advising that "Worn Tyres Kill", and repeatedly asks Joe whether he has checked their tyres. He tries to evade the question, then says they're not worn, they're "a bit smooth". Petunia is relieved, but then he skids and crashes the car to a tree as the animated shot of the car crash changes to a live-action shot of a real car accident. A caption states "WORN TYRES KILL" as we hear faint voices repeating the words from the start of the film: "Nice view up here, Petunia." "Yes, very nice, Joe." FX/SFX: Same as above, except for the last seconds of the PIF which is in live-action. Music/Sounds: We hear dialogue from Joe & Petunia with sound effects of the car tyres screeching and the car crash, before we hear faint voices of Joe & Petunia. Availability: The last film was used to be seen in cinemas during that time, but is preserved on YouTube. Scare Factor: High to Medium, due to the sudden car skid and crash, clearly implying Joe & Petunia's unexpected deaths in the accident (though there's nothing to suggest they didn't walk away with cartoonish injuries) and unlike the other 3 films is not charming and funny. Category:PIFs Category:1960's PIFs Category:1970's PIFs Category:Animated PIFs Category:Safety PIFs Category:Road Safety PIFs Category:Video PIFs Category:Cinema PIFs Category:United Kingdom Category:2000's PIFs